By admin 
The New York Jets needed a defensive response after their loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 4, and edge rusher David Bailey supplied it with three sacks, eight pressures and four quarterback hits in Sunday’s 17-12 win over the Cleveland Browns. Locked On Jets host John Butchko said Bailey’s performance changed the tone of what was already a premature discussion about whether the No. 2 overall pick had disappointed through four games.
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Butchko acknowledged Bailey did not play well in the loss to Chicago, when the Jets struggled to generate pressure with four rushers. He argued, however, that Bailey had already answered the questions that followed him from college: whether he had enough strength and whether he could hold up against the run.
Bailey’s Cleveland breakout provided a more tangible example of his physical traits. He powered through one block to sack Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson, finished another sack as a free runner and won around the edge for his third quarterback takedown. Butchko noted that the production does not mean Bailey has finished developing as a pass rusher; the rookie still needs to add counters and more consistent hand usage against NFL linemen.
That distinction matters for the Jets. Bailey does not need to carry the defense every week for the pick to justify itself. The immediate standard is a player who belongs on the field, contributes against the run, creates pressure and occasionally delivers the kind of game that swings an outcome.
Butchko said Bailey now has five sacks through five games and has moved to the front of the rookie pass-rush conversation. The Jets can reasonably expect uneven stretches from a first-year edge rusher, but Sunday’s production gave them evidence that Bailey’s ceiling is much higher than the criticism surrounding him a week earlier suggested.
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Jets News and Notes
– Jets running back Braelon Allen carried 24 times for 116 yards and a 22-yard touchdown while Breece Hall missed a second straight game. Butchko argued that Allen’s downhill style and Hall’s receiving and explosive-play ability warrant a true backfield timeshare when Hall returns.
– The passing game remains short on viable options. Butchko said quarterback Geno Smith took avoidable sacks, while wide receiver Garrett Wilson became easier for Cleveland to contain after another pass catcher left the game with a concussion. Omar Cooper Jr. is eligible to return from injured reserve this week, though eligibility does not guarantee activation.
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This story was originally published October 11, 2026 at 10:33 PM.